United Way California Capital Region relies on volunteers to help
us achieve the big audacious goals of our community. We
can’t do it alone. We need the heads, hands and hearts of
committed people like you to help us tackle the problems facing
our communities.
From group volunteer projects to ways to get involved as an
individual volunteer, we have many different volunteer
opportunities available. No matter what experience or time you
have to give, there are many ways to make a significant impact in
the community. United Way California Capital Region Volunteer
Services is all about partnering with companies large and small
to develop meaningful community outreach and group volunteer
efforts that address vital issues. We customize high-impact
corporate days of service and support new and burgeoning Employee
Volunteer Programs to meet corporate responsibility goals. Learn
how we can boost employee engagement and showcase your corporate
citizenship efforts by browsing the many opportunities on this
page or feel free to directly contact our Volunteer Services
Manager, Cole Forstedt at volunteer@uwccr.org or
916-856-3983.
United Way California Capital Region Volunteer Services can help
you build the cornerstones of a solid volunteer experience. Let’s
get started! Use the links below to look for the best experience
for you:
Volunteers from Target Rancho Cordova recently worked with staff
at United Way certified partner Wellspring Women’s
Center to serve breakfast to women and children in the Oak
Park community.
East side and West side! Team members from both Target East
Sacramento and Target West Sacramento joined forces to volunteer
with Food Bank of Yolo County at an elementary school in West
Sacramento to help with the Kids Farmers Market program.
The program is a mock farmers market done at elementary schools
where the kids get “funny money” to shop in the market, stop by
the nutrition resource table and play in the physical activity
area. The purpose of the market is to teach kids the importance
of making smart healthy choices and staying active. Volunteers
distributed produce, shared nutrition and played a game with the
kids in the physical activity area.
Volunteers from Target Citrus Heights recently visited the
Boys
& Girls Club of Greater Sacramento Foothill Oaks
Elementary school site to help out with students in the United
Way STAR Readers program.
Volunteers from Allied/Nationwide recently went to the Health
Education Council site of United Way’s Fit Kids program.
Volunteers took a tour of the Grant High School garden and
demonstration kitchen before helping high school students lead
activities with a group of elementary school age Fit Kids who
were on a field trip to visit the garden.
The Fit Kids were 4th and 5th after school youth from Garden
Valley Elementary School on a visit to Grant Garden to learn
about eating healthy in the kitchen. United Way’s volunteers from
Allied/Nationwide were a big help to the students in the kitchen
as they made turkey burgers and smoothies, as well as providing a
positive influence on the students in the program.
Volunteers from Target East Sacramento recently put their
time and muscles on loan to United Way certified partner Sacramento
Habitat for Humanity. The organization builds affordable
housing for qualified Sacramento low income families, sells these
homes at cost and provides no down payment/zero interest
mortgages. In addition to the construction process, the
organization manages the ReStore which recycles donated items
such as gently used appliances, furniture and construction
supplies back into the community to help support the
organization. The store is open to the public and has treasures
for everyone.
Volunteers from Target East Sacramento came out to volunteer with
United Way certified partner River City Food
Bank.While some volunteers worked to sort through donated
items and stock the shelves of food to be distributed to families
in the coming days, other volunteers served as personal shoppers,
responsible for meeting each new client and taking them through
the food line and picking out the appropriate number of food
items for their family.River City Food Bank provides three days
of nutritional food supply, nutrition education and referral
assistance, offering hope to people seeking self reliance.
On April 25th, members of the United Way Emerging
Leaders visited the Boys
& Girls Club of Greater Sacramento Hillsdale Elementary
school site to volunteer with students in the United Way STAR
Readers program. The group received a tour and overview from
program staff before jumping in to help the students with
activities designed to make reading fun.
United Way STAR Readers is working to
ensure every student will graduate high school on time, ready to
be contributing community members. The project funds local
nonprofits who work with school to locate K-3 students with
significant reading challenges to help them read at grade level
by the time they take the STAR test. Boys and Girls Club of
Greater Sacramento works to inspire and enable all young people
especially those that need help most to reach their full
potential as productive caring responsible citizens.
On Friday April 26th, members of the local team of Alcon
Laboratories employees volunteered their time at United Way
certified nonprofit partner Placer Food Bank. The
group arrived motivated to help tackle some of the problems with
hunger in Placer County.
In 2012 alone, Placer Food Bank has distributed 5.9 million
pounds of food. Together, the volunteers from Alcon sorted
through boxes and boxes of donated food, organizing the food by
type. This is just one step in the process to ensure that the
food is distributed appropriately to those who need it. The few
hours spent helping to sort food will touch many lives for days
and weeks to come.
Sleep Train volunteers recently rallied together to help the
United Way STAR Readers program by sorting the books from the
recent STAR Readers book drive and helping us get the books to
our nonprofit partners. Next, the nonprofit partners working to
help 660 kindergarten through third grade students read at grade
level will distribute the books to STAR Readers in the program.
Members of the team from UPS answered the plea for last minute
help at St.
John’s Shelter for Women and Children. With a job to get done
in a timely manner, the UPS team got straight to work.
Another visit from Allied/Nationwide to the United Way Fit Kids
program presented opportunities for employees and students to
connect and learn about healthy eating and active living.
On April 9th, members of the United Way Emerging
Leaders went to the Health Education Council site of the
United Way Fit Kids project. Volunteers took a tour of the Grant
High School garden and demonstration kitchen before helping high
school students lead activities with a group of elementary school
age Fit Kids who were on a field trip to visit the garden and
demonstration kitchen.
The Whitney Ranch community in Rocklin, in association with
MERIT Property Management worked with United Way to plan a
spring break activity for teens who live in the community. A
group of teens and some parent and staff chaperones
volunteered their time at United Way certified nonprofit partner
Placer Food
Bank.
A HUGE thank you to HP for focusing their March 21st Impact Day
on the needs of local students in the California Capital Region.
Following a morning of employee development, the team of over 100
HP employees switched gears in the afternoon to sort and put
together supplies for 300 back packs that will be distributed at
California Capital Region Education Collaborative target school
sites.
United Way Board Member Jim Shetler joined a few members of
United Way staff for a site visit to Women’s Empowerment
recently. Going on site visits means keeping the programs United
Way helps support at the top of our minds.
Allied/Nationwide has been keeping busy with the United Way Fit
Kids program! Recently, additional volunteers went to the Health
Education Council site of United Way’s Fit Kids program.
1. United Way Fit Kids were able to run for FREE because of you!
They even got their own shirts and got to kick-off the race.
2. We are now one step closer to hitting our goal of 90 service
projects for our 90th anniversary! The list is located here.
3. Either as a runner or volunteer you provided a donation to
United Way so we can continue to improve the lives of those in
our community through our three impact projects!
A group of 13 volunteers from DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse came
together to help out at Sacramento
Food Bank & Family Services on March 14th. The first part
of the morning consisted of a tour of the organization’s new
facilities to get a taste of some of the other programs provided
for the community. After the tour, volunteers sorted food that
will eventually be used for the mobile food distribution
program. In addition, the group had the opportunity
help in the clothing program by organizing clothing
donations.
Volunteers from United Way certified partner Reading Partners,
including some of their Americorps team members made their way
out to Sports Authority on Friday March 15th alongside other
volunteers and the team from Run or Dye to help check-in runners
for Saturday’s big event.
United Way Board Members Ruth Miller and Lori Aldrete joined a
few members of United Way staff for a site visit to Koinonia
Homes for Teens recently. Going on site visits means keeping the
programs United Way helps support at the top of our minds.